405.5 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

By the time they reached their destination, guided by Pae Woo Cheol, an unfamiliar carriage was spotted at the campsite. The carriage looked haphazardly put together, and the horse, panting heavily, seemed extremely exhausted. ‘...Is it going to die like that?’ The horse appeared as though it might collapse at any moment. Based on the condition of its muscles and the aura it emanated, it seemed to be a quality horse. Just how rough did someone drive it to make it look like this? He cast a sympathetic glance at the struggling horse and moved closer. After walking a bit more, he spotted a familiar face. It was Mo Yong Hee Ah, slumped beside the carriage looking utterly exhausted. What's she doing there like that…? Approaching cautiously, he asked her. “What's wrong with you?” “Y-Young Master…. Ugh….” Mo Yong Hee Ah was clearly in a bad shape. Her usually well-kept hair was disheveled, and her once pristine appearance now seemed rather haggard. What is this? Did she get motion sickness? ‘That can’t be it.’ Mo Yong Hee Ah was a martial artist who had reached a relatively high level. She wouldn't be in this state from simple motion sickness. “Are you okay…?” “No….” “Yeah, you don't look okay.” What happened to make her end up like this? “...” Watching her silently, he knelt on one knee beside her. Mo Yong Hee Ah looked at him questioningly as he suddenly matched her gaze. He reached out and gently moved the hair sticking to her cheek. Maybe it was due to cold sweat, but it was bothering him. “…!” Was that the issue? Her eyes widened in surprise. Her cheeks turned slightly red and she grabbed his hand that brushed against her cheek. “What are you doing?” “Hmm…?” Surprised at having his hand taken, he looked at Mo Yong Hee Ah with a puzzled expression. “What is… this?” “What do you mean?” Confused by her sudden action, he asked, but Mo Yong Hee Ah’s reaction did not diminish. She responded to him. “Why are you suddenly flirting?” “What?” What kind of crazy talk was this? He hadn't flirted at all. “I mean… seriously, what's up? Did you eat something bad?” “You're the one who seems to have eaten something bad, aren't you? Aren't you feverish?” As he reached to touch her forehead, she recoiled in shock. “W-Why are you doing this?” “…Nothing.” “Did something happen…? Are you unwell?” Her flustered reaction made him wonder. Just what was going on? As he pondered whether his actions seemed strange. ‘Hmm.’ Noticing something odd, he instinctively put some distance between them. He suddenly felt as though the distance between them had narrowed. ‘This is it.’ Reflecting on the conversation with Dok Wang, perhaps the awareness that these feelings were already within him… It seemed his actions had become a bit odd due to realizing his possessiveness. ‘I should be careful.’ Thinking about it made his chest feel heavy. A rush of unnecessary self-reproach followed. Not yet. ‘Not yet.’ He repeated to himself. No matter what it is, it shouldn't be held close or grasped yet. He got up, leaving the weary Mo Yong Hee Ah behind. ‘Baek Ryeon Geom mentioned she had arrived too.’ Knowing Mo Yong Hee Ah had arrived safely, he felt relieved. Now that a senior had arrived, it was only proper to greet them. He decided to have an attendant look after Mo Yong Hee Ah and first find Baek Ryeon Geom. As he was about to head in that direction, he turned back to Mo Yong Hee Ah and left her with words. “Come to me tonight.” “…!” After leaving those words, he vanished to find Baek Ryeon Geom, leaving Mo Yong Hee Ah alone, who looked at the direction he had disappeared with a bewildered expression. The young man she was reunited with seemed somewhat different. The change in his demeanor felt hotter than she expected, and it caught her off guard. Moreover. ‘What on earth… truly.’ Mo Yong Hee Ah knew that those words held no particular meaning. He called her because it was time to receive his warmth. But still. - Come to me tonight. The sensation evoked by those words was genuinely peculiar. If they had been said with intention, she might have found it irritating, but she knew he wasn't someone who would do such things. Thus, even more so. “…Really, what a bothersome person.” In many ways, he was less than desirable to her. ****************** Finding Baek Ryeon Geom wasn't all that difficult. Since Pae Woo Cheol had already come to inform him, it indicated that Baek Ryeon Geom had moved as soon as she arrived. Given her destination once the carriage arrived, there could only be one place she would go. It was natural to seek the leader of the group first, so it was likely Baek Ryeon Geom had gone to meet Dok Wang. Thinking along those lines, he headed to where the Tang clan members were gathered. Sure enough, there was an unfamiliar figure among them close to Dok Wang. Furthermore. “It’s been a long time!” A thunderous voice reached his ears. His eyes shifted toward the direction of a woman who was laughing joyously while facing Dok Wang. The woman hadn't changed a bit since the last time they met. “Should I call you the Tang leader now?” Baek Ryeon Geom's words were met with just a perplexed smile from Dok Wang. “It’s good to see you again, Baek Ryeon Geom.” “I heard you became the clan leader.” “It’s already been over a decade since then….” Dok Wang let out a laugh tinged with disbelief, and Baek Ryeon Geom chuckled awkwardly. “I’ve never been one to be concerned with worldly affairs.” “Well, setting that aside, may I ask why Baek Ryeon Geom is here?” He inquired about her visit. Baek Ryeon Geom tilted her head at his question. Her expression seemed to wonder why he was asking something so obvious. “It’s nothing else, really. My child was anxious about a long journey and sent me as an escort.” “…An escort, you say, Baek Ryeon Geom?” “Yes.” Dok Wang cast a doubtful glance at her. I would have found it strange myself. Having someone of Baek Ryeon Geom's caliber come as an escort was indeed surprising. ‘So, she's here to escort Mo Yong Hee Ah.’ Of course, Dok Wang had no grounds to object to that situation. Moreover, there was nothing he could or couldn't say about it. With a martial artist of Baek Ryeon Geom’s level, her presence would undoubtedly aid their escort, which wasn't a bad addition for Dok Wang. ‘However, he seems somewhat reluctant.’ I couldn’t quite tell what kind of person Baek Ryeon Geom was, but I could deduce that she was peculiar enough to unsettle Dok Wang. For someone like Dok Wang, who seemed adept in politics, to show such expression… What on earth had Baek Ryeon Geom been up to? “Well then, since that's settled, please take good care of me.” “...” What does she mean by 'that's settled'? As I approached and listened, the progression of their conversation struck me as odd. ‘Is this person really of the Mo Yong family’s bloodline?’ For someone supposedly from the Mo Yong lineage, known for their ideals and calculated actions, she seemed unpredictably whimsical. Her appearance definitely matched that of the family line. Why was her personality so unlike her appearance? No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t comprehend it. “Oh, and… oh.” While in deep conversation with Dok Wang, Baek Ryeon Geom seemed to sense someone’s presence and turned her gaze toward me. Perhaps due to this, abandoning her conversation with Dok Wang, she swiftly approached me. “Hello!?” She greeted me so brightly that it left my ears ringing. “We've met before, right?” Her beaming question left me speechless. “Hello, Senior.” At my formal greeting, Baek Ryeon Geom frowned as if discontented. “Still so stiff with the titles? I told you to call me sister.” “I don't think I can…” Calling an aunt-like woman of my father's age 'sister', it seemed too audacious, no matter how you looked at it. ‘Besides.’ Why on earth did she come? Was it because of Baekcheongeomju’s request to act as an escort? I didn't truly believe that. It felt like there was some other reason. ‘It's none of my business.’ I decided not to delve into matters that weren't my concern. Although Baek Ryeon Geom reminded me of Gu Hui Bi, causing some reluctance, she didn't seem like a bad person. I figured we could maintain a comfortable distance. With such thoughts in mind, just as I was about to nod, “Well then, I’ll be in your care.” “Uh…. Thank you, I'll also be care… What?” I had to express surprise at Baek Ryeon Geom’s words. In my care? For what? “What do you mean?” “Hmm? I already told you. I'm here as an escort.” “Yes, I heard that, but.” What did that have to do with me? Whether Baek Ryeon Geom came as an escort or not had little to do with me, did it? “I'm wondering what that has to do with your statement….” “Of course, it's related.” Baek Ryeon Geom giggled and answered. “I’m here to escort you. Who else would I be talking to?” “What?” Her shocking words left me feeling as if my soul had left my body. So, the person Baek Ryeon Geom was supposed to escort wasn’t Mo Yong Hee Ah? Moreover. “…Me?” She came unexpectedly to escort me? What on earth was this about? As I gazed at Baek Ryeon Geom in disbelief, she smiled at me as brightly as ever. “So, let’s get along, okay? Dear nephew-in-law.” The shocking nature of her first statement rendered the term she used afterward inaudible.